Sign assembly



Sept. 22, 1970f D. c. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,529,798

SIGN ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 30, 1967 i INVZJVTORS.

DONALD C VVILL/AMS am/ RICHARD 6. 6/?0WE United States Patent 3,529,798SIGN ASSEMBLY Donald C. Williams, 4105 Roselawn Ave., Indianapolis, Ind.46226, and Richard G. Growe, Indianapolis, Ind.; said Growe assignor tosaid Williams Filed Aug. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 664,559 Int. Cl. G09f 7/18US. Cl. 248-469 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sign assemblyincluding a group of bars cut from two extrusions, one having a T-shapedcross section with grooved web, and the other having a T-slotted crosssection. One T-slotted bar is mounted to a post with lag screws receivedin registering apertures thereof. One T- shaped bar is bent L-shaped toform a bracket member, with the short leg received in the slot of theT-slotted bar and the long leg extending horizontally therefrom andreceiving a sign plate in the web groove. A cross mount consists of twoT-slotted bars aflixed together, the first being received on thehorizontal leg of the bracket member and the other receiving anotherT-shaped bar with a second sign plate in the web groove thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates generally to display apparatus and more particularly to signboards and the mounting means therefor.

Description of the prior art Known prior art signs and brackets are manyin number and various in form, and examples may be found in US. patentsas follows: 2,641,075, June 9, 1953, Saul; 3,158,349, Nov. 24, 1964,Bergstrom; 2,802,291, Aug. 13, 1957, Bach et al.; 3,154,870, Nov. 3,1964, Hopp et al.; 2,596,582, May 13, 1952, Michel.

The present invention is particularly beneficial in that although itprovides a sturdy and durable apparatus for appropriate display ofsigns, the construction features enabling attainment of this result at alow cost.

SUMMARY In a typical embodiment of the present invention, a bar isprovided with a longitudinally extending slot therein of T-shaped crosssection receiving the short leg of an L-shaped bracket member having aT-shaped crosssection. The bar is mounted vertically on a post so thatthe long-leg of the bracket member is disposed horizontally. The webportion of the T has a groove therein receiving a sign board. A secondbar, similar to the first is receivable on the long leg of the bracketmember and has still a third bar afiixed thereto but at a 90 degreeangle with respect thereto, the slot of the third bar extendinghorizontally and receiving another member of T-shaped cross section witha groove in the web thereof receiving a second sign board. The threebars may be cut from a single aluminum extrusion, and the bracket memberand base member for the second sign board may both be cut from a secondaluminum extrusion, the bracket member being thereupon bent to theL-shape. Appropriate apertures and fasteners are provided in the barsfor securing the various parts together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thesign assembly in a typical environment.

3,529,798 Patented Sept. 22, 1970 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows atypical embodiment of the sign assembly of this invention used for astreet sign unit. In this embodiment a U-iron 11 is used as the standand is received securely in the ground 12. It has a plurality ofapertures 13 spaced at approximately one inch intervals verticallytherealong. A bar 14 is provided with apertures 16 therein registeringwith two of the apertures 13 in the post 11, these apertures receivinglag screws or bolts whereby the bar 14 is aflixed to the post 11. Thebar 14 has a longitudinally extending slot 18 therein which is ofT-shaped cross section. The.bar also has a pair of longitudinallyextending ribs 19 on the backside thereof opposite the slot 18. Theseribs together with the slight channel 21 formed therebetween facilitatethe mounting of this bar to posts of various surface shapes, includingnot only the U-iron illustrated but also circular posts. To facilitateinstallation of the bar to non-apertured posts, flats are provided at 22and 23 as shown, at the opposite ends of the slot, to receive metalstraps both around the bar and around the pole for mounting purposes.The transverse ribs 24 assist in retaining the straps on the bar and theapertures 1'6 can also be used with registering apertures in the strapsfor this purpose if desired.

A bracket member 26 is made of an aluminum extrusion having a T-shapedcross section, the bracket being bent in the form of an 'L with theshort leg 27 and long leg 28 both retaining the characteristic T-shapedcross section. In the web of the extrusion there is provided a groove 29extending throughout the length thereof to receive a sign board or plate31, which may also be aluminum or some other suitable material. The signboard is secured to the bracket by lanced or staked construction as at32 wherein the web and sign plate are secured together at one or bothsides of the groove 29 in both the horizontally and vertically extendinglegs of the bracket. The vertically extending leg is then received inthe slot 18 of the mounting bar 14 and, if desired, can be allowed torest therein with the flange 33 of the bracket member resting upon theupper marginal edge 34 defining the upper end of the slot 18 in the bar14. Although the bracket 26 is shown as a hanger for the sign andinserted in the upper end of the slot 18, it can also be insertedupwardly into slot 18 and, in that event, can be secured thereto by aset screw 36 threadedly received in the bar 14 and engaging the shortleg 27 of the bracket member. The set screw can also be used, of course,when the bracket member is inserted from the top.

To mount the second sign board 37, a cross consisting of two bars 38 and39 is provided from the same aluminum extrusion as the bar 14. These twoare welded together with their channel sides facing each other, the weldpoints being at the four points of contact between the ribs 19 of eachand the corresponding ribs of the other. The lower component 39 of thiscross is received on the horizontal leg 28 of the bracket member and issecured thereto by the set screw 41. A member 42 cut from the sameextrusion as the bracket member is received in the slot of the bar 38and atfixed thereto by the set screw 43. Member 42 already has thegroove 44 therein receiving a lower marginal portion of the sign plate37 which is affixed thereto by the lancing or staking at 46, forexample.

So it is that the complete sign assembly is constructed of comparativelyfew parts at nominal expense, and yet serves as a sturdy and durableunit. Because of the use of extrusions as described, it is a simplematter to make the various members any length desired to accommodatesigns of different sizes. Moreover, if it is known that the bar 14 willnot need to be mounted by straps to any posts, the transverse slottingto provide the flats 22 and 23 at the ends of the slot 18 can be omittedso that this member also will be virtually identical in this respect tothe members 38 and 39. In fact, there are instances Where the members14, 38, and 39 can be identical as are members 26 and 42, except for thebend in member 26 and a notch in the web at 47 to facilitate bending.This notch, in the straight extrusion, can typically be a notch of 90degree included angle and a width at the flange of approximatelyone-eighth inch, for example. The dimensions will vary of course,depending upon the size of stock used.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail inthe drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modification mayreadily suggest themselves to-persons skilled in this art and Within thebroad scope of the invention, reference being made to the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a sign assembly, the combination comprising:

mounting means attachable to a support for locating a sign in space;

bracket means mounted on said mounting means and having a portionthereon for attachment of a sign board thereto, said bracket meansincluding a bracket member formed of a single bar of generally T-shapedcross section, with the Web portion thereof having a longitudinallyextending groove therein for receiving a marginal portion of a signboard therein, said bar being bent in the plane of said attachmentportion and thereby providing two legs, one of said legs being receivedin said mounting means said mounting means having receiver means ofcross section at vertically spaced points accommodating the T-shapedcross section of said bar and precluding rotation of said bar in saidmounting means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

the angle of the bend in said bar is substantially ninety degreeswhereby said bracket member is substantially L-shaped, there being onlysaid two legs in said bracket member.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

said mounting means has a vertically extending slot therein of T-shapedcross section receiving a vertical- 1y extending one of said legs ofsaid bracket member, the other of said legs being thereupon disposedhorizontally, said vertically extending leg being slidable verticallyinto said slot.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the flange of said bracket memberbar is movable into abutting engagement with an upper marginal edge ofsaid mounting means upon sliding of said vertically extending legdownwardly to a certain extent into said slot, to thereupon support saidbracket member on said edge.

5. The combination of claim 3 and further comprising:

second mounting means having a T-shaped slot therein received on thehorizontally extending leg of said bracket member;

third mounting means having a T-shaped slot therein and aflixed to saidsecond mounting means with the slot therein extending horizontally andopening upwardly;

a second bar having a T-shaped cross section identical to that of saidbracket member bar and received in the slot of said third mountingmeans, with the groove in a said second bar opening upwardly and adaptedto receive a marginal portion of a second sign board therein.

6. The combination of claim 5 and further comprising:

a set screw in each of said mounting means and aflixing each to therespective bar portion received thereon;

a first sign board having marginal portions received in the said groovein the horizontal and vertical legs of said bracket member, and aflixedthereto;

and a second sign board having a marginal portion received in the saidgroove in said second bar and aflixed thereto.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein:

said bars are cut from a single piece of stock of T- shaped crosssection, and

said first, second, and third mounting means are bars of identical crosssectional shape and cut from a single piece of stock of T-slotted crosssection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,016,723 2/1912 West 248-477 X2,123,695 7/1938 Elmer 248-125 X 2,383,881 8/1945 Murphy 40-1452,802,291 8/1957 Bach et a1. 40-145 X ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary ExaminerF. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40-145; 248-125, 224

